U.S. Beach Teams Undefeated on Day 1

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 22, 2013) – All four U.S. beach volleyball teams competing at the NORCECA Beach Circuit event in Grand Cayman on the Cayman Islands went undefeated in pool play, which began Friday.

Ryan Doherty digs the ball during a match on March 22
in the Cayman Islands.

The event is the first on the 2013 NORCECA Beach Circuit.

The U.S. men’s team of Todd Rogers (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Ryan Doherty (Toms River, N.J.), ranked No. 1 in the tournament, made its international debut with a 21-9, 21-12 victory in 30 minutes in Pool A over the Cayman Islands 2 team of Philippe Deslandes and Richard Campbell.

In their second pool play match, Rogers and Doherty defeated Marc Lomeli and Anthony Pippen of the Virgin Islands, 21-13, 21-14 in 32 minutes. Rogers and Doherty will complete pool play on Saturday against Carlos Talavera and David Vargas of El Salvador to decide the pool winner.

In Pool D, the USA-B men’s team of Casey Jennings (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Stafford Slick (Andover, Minn.) downed Simon Blake and Daneil Williams of Trinidad & Tobago, 21-11, 21-14 in 22 minutes. Next they prevailed 21-12, 22-20 in 40 minutes over Joseph Clercent and Julian Biscette of Saint Lucia. They will complete pool play on Saturday against Barbados’ Kyle Browne and Ronald Rice.

In Pool A of the women’s tournament, the USA-A team of Jenny Kropp (Grand Island, Neb.) and Whitney Pavlik (Laguna Beach, Calif.), which is the tournament’s top seed, won 21-14, 21-9 in 26 minutes over Jessica Wolfenden and Stefania Gandolfi of Cayman Islands-B. They won by default 21-0, 21-0 against Nikita Campbell and Shanique Deshong of St Vincent and Grenadines. Kropp and Pavlik will complete pool play on Saturday against Samantha Mann and Jamilla Lansiquot of St. Lucia.

In Pool C, the USA-B team of Jennifer Fopma (Bellflower, Calif.) and Brooke Sweat (Fort Myers, Fla.) won 21-11, 21-15 in 32 minutes over Mexico’s Bibi Candelas and Martha Revuelta before beating Jennifer Bily and Cristin Alexander of Cayman Islands-A, 21-11, 21-11 in 29 minutes. Fopma and Sweat will complete pool play on Saturday against Gina Flores and Martha Euceda of Honduras.

The first round of bracket play is also scheduled to begin on Saturday with the medal matches being played on Sunday.

For more information about the NORCECA Beach Circuit, visit NORCECA.net.